Tractor hitch



July 4, 1950 F. BLESSINGER, JR

TRACTOR HITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 17, 1949 INVENTOR.

W m H ATTORNEY y 1950 F. BLESSINGER, JR 2,513,783

TRACTOR HITCH Filed Feb. 17, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Frank Bless z'zgyer fz ATTORMEYJ Patented July 4, 1950 UN 1 TED S TATES PATENT OFF I (3E "TRACTOR mrron Frank Blessinger, J r., Boyertown, Pa.

vApplication Febr-uary 17, 1949, Serial N 0. 76,951

. 4 Claims. :1

This invention relates generally :to tractor hitches for-couplinga .farrn-implement such as a plough, to a tractor, -and,. -mor.e particularly, to a hitch adjustin mechanism 'for a. tractor provided with a hydraulically operated hitch :of the type which is commonly referred toss a Ferguson '(=or Ford-Ferguson) system, which adjusting-mechanism is especially useful :for ploughing on a hillside.

When a tractor including the above-mentioned type of hitch is'ernployed to draw a gang plow on a hillside, there .will be :a tendency :for the plow to side .sl-ip downhillibecause of the pivotal mounting :of the hitch and thereby :not provide aiullfurrozw.

An object of the present invention .is togpro vide, :on ahitch'of thecaboveementioned typ an adjusting mechanism for adjustablytmoving the hitch laterally to overcome the tendency of the implement ito side :slip relative the tractor and thereby assure, in the case :of 'a .gang plow, that each plow element will develop )3: fulliurrow.

.A more specific object of this invention is :to provide means for :adjustably :shif-ting laterally tozthe proper, position:a plow secured to the-draw bar :of the above-mentioned type of hitch sons to function-on the sides of hillsin a manner so-zas to properly turn over spaced equal furrows, and ,including -a shifting member which is :so shaped :as

to prevent lateral collision with the rods :connecting the :draw *bar to the tractor when .the draw bar;is :in the liftedposition;

A still further subject f this invention .is to provide in a Ford *(or Ford-Ferguson) implement tractor an improvedxgang plow zhitch including novel means to shift it laterally to'thedesired position in case 'i't-liS :desired to plow a hillside,

which means ;.is controllable by an operating :han-

dle which is conveniently positioned near thegside I of the operators;seat, instead of :behind the seat, thereforezavoiding the necessity of turning around of the operator and reaching as is required in operating present'types of tractor hitches.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will'become apparent from aistudy of the following specification taken withthe accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. v1 is a top plan view of ;a tractor hayingconnected thereto a hitchi'fonming :part of:a Ford (or Ford-Ferguson) hydraulically operated is yy tem and showing an attachment embodyin the principles of the present invention for laterally shifting an implement, such as a gang plow as shown, for hillside plowing;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear elevational view 2 showing :more clearly the inverted substantially U -;shaped lateral shifting element;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational ViBW'Wlth-O IG .of the rear wheels :removedzof the '-traotor;shown in Fig. 1,:an'd

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of thelateral shifting element embodying the features of the present :inverition :and showing the complete handle controlled operating system :therefor.

Referring more particularly to the figures, I111- moral i denotes atractorof :anyzsuitable type, for example, a .Ford tractor, havinga rear axle housing la. The tractor .is equipped "with hydraulically actuated arms 2, 2 which are connected *by universal coupling '3, .3 toradiustalile connectors ll, 724 which, in turn, are pivotally secured at '5, 5 to the pivotally mounted draw "bar carrying arms 6, :6. .Numeral denotes ;a-.,conventional draw lcar having tpintles 8, 8 .at the ends thereof which extend :through holes formed in the outer :end portions :of arms 6. secured to draw :bar :1 :i any suitable ffarm implement, :such as :agang plow :9. By application of hydraulic pressure, arms 2 :may be rotated so as'to lift the hitch comprising selements '4, .6., :and 7 together with thezga ng plow -.9 attached thereto.v Chain-spill, 2H1 connect arms 6, ii-to the rear-axle :housingrso'as to .lirnitrsidewise movement of the :hitch. The structure described so far is conventional in the art.

The present invention is :directed specifically to means for laterally and adjustably shifting the above-described .hitch, which means is l-best illustrated in Fig. '4 :and comprises an inverted substantially 'U -shapedjshifti-ng member l'l which is connected -:in a mannerso :as to :allow convenient operation by the operator. More specifically, member I l risqslidably .rnounted'on brackets 1:2, ll 2 which are rigidlyi-secu-redito rear axle housing :l'a. Biyotallyzsecuredzto :a .lug Ha extending-from the top (central :portion :of :member 11 is one :end of a laterallyreirtendi-ng link l3. The other end of link :l :3,:is bent and extends through an aperture formed :in a crank arm :M, The crank arm is connec'tedfto one :end of .a shaft '15 extending longitudinally of the tractor to a convenient pos'rtionnear {the side 0f the operators seat lb.

Che forward end of shaft 1:5 has pivotally mountedit-hereon an icpera ting :handle or leve l6 havinga :pin =orlug' I! thereon adapted to be engage'din one-of thenotiches of a quadrantpIate The plate 128. is rigidlysecured to a bracket In operation when the tractor is operating alon a hillside, for example, and there is a tendency for the gang plow 9 to drift downhill, such drifting may be counteracted by pulling handle l9 forwardly against the action of spring 20 to withdraw pin I! from a given notch and thereafter turning handle l6 about the axis of shaft l to re-set the pin in another selected notch 01; recess, thereby rotating shaft I 5 and crank arm 14 which, in turn, effect lateral sliding movement of the horizontally extending portion of member H within projecting portions of brackets I2. Thus one of the downwardly extending leg portions of member II will abut one of the draw bar carrying arms 6 of the hitch and thereby restrain the hitch assembly from lateral movement downwardly of the hillside. Of course, the lateral adjustment may be employed even for plowing on level ground. By virtue of the pivotal support of the hitch, any farm imple arms 6 of the hitch if member II had sharp cor-' ners. For this reason, the corners Ila of such member are beveled so as to provide a, clearance and thus allow limited lateral movement of arms 6 when the hitch is in the lifted position, thereby avoiding the possibility of collision with the corners.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a novel, highly useful, 'as well as relatively simple and inexpensive attachment for a Ford (or Ford- Ferguson) type of tractor hitch which enables lateral adjustment of the hitch so as to make it possible to plow along a hillside and obtain properly spaced, equal and full furrows, which attachment is of a construction to prevent collision with parts of the hitch when the hitch is lifted; furthermore, I have provided an attachment which may be laterally shifted by an operating handle disposed in a convenient position near the side of the operators seat so as to prevent the necessity of turning of the operator to operate the handle.

While I have illustrated and described a, certain specific embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that this is by way of illustration only, and that various changes and modifications may be made within the contemplation of my invention and withinthe scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a tractor having an axle housing, a hitch pivotally supported on the tractor comprising a pair of rearwardly diverging arms pivotally connected at their forward ends to said axle housing, a, draw bar connected to the ends of said arms, a pair of hydraulically operative arms connected to said hitch arms to effect lifting thereof, and means for laterally and adjustably shifting said hitch, comprising an inverted, substantially U-shaped member, the

depending legs of which are adapted to engage said hitch arms, operating means extending from said inverted, substantially U-shaped member to a position alongside the drivers seat of said tractor, and an operating handle mounted at said position to afford easy access thereto by the operator.

2. In combination with a tractor, a hitch including rearwardly diverging arms connected together by a draw bar, a plow coupled to said draw bar, and means for effecting lateral adjustment of said hitch comprising an inverted substantially U-shaped member slidably mounted on said tractor, an arm having one end pivotally connected to said member, an operating shaft having a crank arm at one end pivotally connected to the other end of said last-mentioned arm, an operating handle connected to the other end of said shaft and disposed alongside the driver seat of said tractor, said handle having a, pin thereon,

ment with the notches of said quadrant, turning of said handle being effective to cause lateral shifting of said inverted substantially U-shaped member so that the depending legs thereof will abut against and adjust the lateral position of said hitch arms.

3; Apparatus recited in the next previous claim wherein said inverted substantially U-shaped member has beveled corners to prevent collision with said hitch arms.

4. In an attachment for a hydraulically operable hitch'of the Ford-Ferguson type having outwardly diverging hitch arms pivotally attachable to the axle housing of a tractor, a draw bar connecting the free ends of said arms for carrying a farm implement and hydraulically operative arms for lifting said hitch, a pair of bracket members for attachment to the tractor, an in verted, substantially U-shaped member laterally slidable within said bracket members, a connecting arm having one end pivotally connected to the horizontal portion of said inverted, substantially U-shaped member, an operatin shaft adapted to extend longitudinally of the tractor and having at one end a crank arm which is pivotally-mounted to the other end'of the said connecting arm, an operating handle pivotally mounted to the other end of said shaft to permit arcuate movement of the handle in the general direction of the shaft, a spring having one end connected to said handle and the other end adapted to be connected to the tractor, a pin integrally formed with said handle, a notched quadrant serving as a journal for said other end of said shaft whereby pulling of said handle against the action of said spring will release said pin from one of said notches and'turning of the handle and rotation of said shaft will move the pin into a different selected notch, thereby lat- .erally shifting said inverted, substantially U- shaped member to cause the depending arms thereof to abut said hitch arms and thereby adjustably position the hitch in a given lateral position so as to prevent sidewise drift of the hitch when drawn along a hillside.

FRANK BLESSINGER, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Number Name 2,338,334 Kastenschmidt' Jan. 5, 1944 

